Syracuse city school district doctor arrested; accused of sending indecent text to teen boy

State Police photoDr. Richard Kulak has been accused of sending inappropriate text messages to teen boy. Article written by The Post-Standard staff writers Jim O’Hara and Maureen Nolan
The director of health services for the Syracuse City School District was arrested Tuesday afternoon on charges that he had an improper relationship with a teenage boy.
Dr. Richard Kulak, who also has a private medical practice at North Medical Family Physicians, is accused of sending inappropriate text messages to the youth in November, according to Matthew Doran, Onondaga County chief assistant district attorney.
Kulak, 39, 8876 Maple Drive, Cicero, was charged with first-degree unlawful dissemination of indecent material to a minor and endangering the welfare of a child.
Syracuse School Superintendent Daniel Lowengard said in a written statement the district placed Kulak on administrative leave and would not allow him on district property while the matter is pending. Kulak’s job with the district is part time, Lowengard said; his salary wasn’t available.
“The information we have received indicates that the alleged crimes occurred outside of school and do not involve Syracuse City School District students or Dr. Kulak’s activities as medical director,” the statement said.
Kulak’s primary duties were administrative, but they included performing physicals for new employees, said school district spokesman Michael Henesey. Kulak sometimes was called on to fill in for a school doctor to do physicals on students.
According to Doran, Kulak sent messages soliciting the teen to send naked photos of himself and inviting the boy to join Kulak in watching the movie "Make the Yuletide Gay," a 2009 independent comedy.
Kulak is also accused of offering to send the youth pornography, and of making references in text messages to various types of masturbation and images of past sexual experiences the youth may have had, the prosecutor said.
Doran said the conduct had nothing to do with Kulak’s employment with either his Syracuse Schools job or his private medical practice in Liverpool.
The state police investigation of Kulak’s involvement with the youth covers a period when the boy was 15 and 16 years old, Doran said. He would not say whether that contact went beyond text messaging to any physical contact.
The victim and Kulak were acquaintances, but Doran would not say how they knew each other. The prosecutor also declined to reveal how the investigation began. There are no other apparent young people involved, Doran said, but the investigation is continuing.
Although the incident is not related to Kulak’s employment with the school district, the district was very cooperative in the investigation, Doran said. Kulak was hired as the school health services director in 2002 after Dr. Paul Stobnicke retired from the job.
Kulak has also been suspended from his medical practice job, Doran said.
Kulak was arraigned before Cicero Town Justice Robert Walczyk. Doran said the prosecution did not object to Kulak being released to his recognizance because he had voluntarily surrendered to state police in the company of his attorney, Emil Rossi.
Kulak is due back in Cicero Town Court on March 9.
Authorities asked anyone with information about Kulak that could help investigators to call the North Syracuse State Police barracks at 455-2882 or Doran at, the district attorney’s office, 435-2470.
Contact Jim O’Hara at johara@syracuse.com or 470-2260. Maureen Nolan can be reached at mnolan@syracuse.com or 470-2185.